Portugal Situation Report Wednesday 16th June 2021
Introduction
Good morning – Yesterday, we received the news that the scheduling of vaccinations is now available for those 40 years and over, with indications that 30 and over may also be included from Sunday 20th June. This seems a very short period between these groups so we wait and see.
Safe Communities Portugal has raised the issue concerning the position of those without “utente” numbers, as well as others who should have been vaccinated, but for whatever reason have not been. We are in correspondence with ARS Algarve concerning this and have also raised at a more senior government level. We will inform you once we are aware of developments, but please understand there is only so much we can do.
We see there is much “crystal ball” gazing in the media and on social media as to whether or not certain municipalities will revert to previous de-confinement stages later today. I find this interesting as often those making predictions do not have the full facts available, therefore their comments result in speculation, which may or may not be correct. We must remember that the incidence rate per 100,000 rolling averages change daily so 14 days ending say today, maybe very different to 14 days ending tomorrow! There are also other risk factors that are taken into account. We await as usual to hear the outcome of the Council of Ministers meeting later today.
The increasing numbers are of concern however, but this is not uniform across the mainland. Earlier this week, there were 241 active outbreaks in mainland territory, the overwhelming majority (168) concentrated in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo. In other words, this region currently covers 70% of these outbreaks, followed by far the regions of the North (30) and the Algarve (23), according to data from the Directorate-General for Health. Despite the increase in cases in recent weeks, these numbers are significantly lower than those recorded in February, when there were 921 active outbreaks.
Having spoken to police in Lisbon yesterday, the possible factors are that Lisbon, of course, has the largest city population as well as the youngest, many of whom have not yet been vaccinated. Large social gatherings, in which the police have had to intervene have not helped the situation.
A matter that has been raised with us concerns weddings and the safety measures that are in place. It was announced yesterday that Covid-19 tests are now recommended at family events with more than ten people, such as weddings and baptisms, cultural and sporting events, public services and companies, according to the General Directorate of Health (DGS).
The standard, referring to the National Testing Strategy for SARS-CoV-2, updated on Tuesday by the DGS, recommends “the carrying out of laboratory tests at family events, including weddings and baptisms, as well as any other similar celebrations, with a meeting from people outside the household, to professionals and participants whenever the number of participants exceeds ten”.
Since Saturday according to the IPMA the weather in mainland Portugal is being “influenced by a cold depression in the upper levels of the atmosphere, associated in the lower levels with an inverted mass of air with tropical characteristics that runs from North Africa to the Iberian Peninsula”.
Therefore, a situation of potentially severe instability is continuing for the next few days, especially in the North, Centre and Alto Alentejo regions, where locally there will be heavy showers, hail and accompanied by thunderstorms and strong gusts. Please pay attention to the warnings as there have been floods in some areas as well as damage caused by very large hail.
Please also familiarize yourself, if not already with safety in thunderstorms which can be downloaded from our Storms and Flooding page here.
With that please have a Safe Day
Headlines
Of the 241 active outbreaks in Portugal, 70% are concentrated in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo.
Earlier this week, there were 241 active outbreaks in mainland territory, the overwhelming majority (168) concentrated in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo. In other words, this region currently covers 70% of these outbreaks, followed by far the regions of the North (30) and the Algarve (23), according to data from the Directorate-General for Health.
Despite the increase in cases in recent weeks, the DGS underlines the fact that these numbers are significantly lower than those recorded in February, when there were 921 active outbreaks.
Regarding the particular situation of schools, there is also the identification of 84 active outbreaks (declared whenever there are two positive cases with an epidemiological link between them in time and space), involving a cumulative total of 514 people, including students, professionals and cohabitants, “part of which are recovered”.
The DGS once again emphasizes the difference in relation to the situation at the beginning of the year, when 190 outbreaks were registered on the continent, from day care centres to higher education. These are only declared extinct after 28 days have elapsed from the date of diagnosis of the last confirmed case.
The DGS also reports the existence of five outbreaks in homes, with a total of 23 positive cases, part of which have also been recovered. In the case of these structures and with almost the entire population already protected with full vaccination, the difference for the beginning of the year is even greater. In February, there were as many as 405 active outbreaks in these structures.
Regarding to global numbers by region, Alentejo registers 13 active outbreaks and the Centre seven.
Covid-19
Portugal recorded on Tuesday two deaths and 973 new cases of Covid-19, according to the daily report of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
Confirmed Cases: 859,045 (+ 973 / + 0.11 %)
Number of admitted: 346 (+ 6 / + 1.76 %)
Number of ICU admitted: 79 (+ 2 / + 2.60 %)
Deaths: 17,049 (+ 2 / + 0.01 %)
Recovered: 816,503 (+ 881 / + 0.11 %)
Active cases: 25,493 (+ 90 /+ 0.35%)
Safe Communities comparisons/trends show that deaths are above last week’s average; new daily cases were the highest daily increase since 6th March 2021 (1007) and above last weeks’ daily average (686) and of the new cases 64% were in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo – same percentage as the last two days.
There was an increase of those in hospital compared to Monday bring the total to the highest since 27th April and in ICU also a small increase compared to Monday with the highest total since 5th May 2021. Of concern however, is that active cases are now the highest since 15th April 2021.
Health
Covid-19: Recommended tests at weddings and christenings, sporting events and companies – DGS.
Newsroom, June 16, 2021 (Lusa) – Covid-19 tests are now recommended at family events with more than ten people, such as weddings and baptisms, cultural and sporting events, public services and companies, according to the General Directorate of Health (DGS).
The standard, referring to the National Testing Strategy for SARS-CoV-2, updated on Tuesday by the DGS, recommends “the carrying out of laboratory tests at family events, including weddings and baptisms, as well as any other similar celebrations, with a meeting from people outside the household, to professionals and participants whenever the number of participants exceeds ten”.
Also in cultural or sporting events, testing is recommended “whenever the number of participants/spectators is greater than a thousand, in an open environment, or greater than 500, in a closed environment”.
In the work context, in places with greater risk of transmission, such as farms and the construction sector, testing is recommended every 14/14 days, as can be seen in the DGS standard.
This recommendation is equally applied in public services and workplaces with 150 or more workers, regardless of their employment relationship, the modality or the nature of the legal relationship, he adds.
It is the health services that will issue a vaccination certificate.
How to order, what information does it give and how will it work? These are some of the questions that citizens ask. Know the answers.
In mid-May, negotiators for the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament reached a political agreement on the creation of the EU Covid Digital Certificate, proposed by the European Commission last March, the approval by the assembly of the compromise text, which legally frames the document, paves the way for its entry into force, as planned, on 1 July and with a duration of 12 months.
This certificate, which was designed to facilitate the return to free movement within the EU, being a kind of free transit pass, should be free and will work similarly to a travel boarding pass in digital and/or paper format, with a QR code to be easily read by electronic devices in the citizen’s national language and in English.
In Portugal, the first Covid-19 digital certificates for national citizens should start being issued in the middle of this week by the Shared Services of the Ministry of Health (SPMS), a government source told Lusa on Sunday. But what is this certificate, how will it work and how to get it? Here are the answers. Read more here.
European Commissioner says Delta variant “decreases protective shield strength” of vaccine.
Stella Kyriakides says that “it is crucial that as many citizens as possible are vaccinated against Covid-19, and that they are fully vaccinated as soon as possible”
The European Commissioner for Health said on Tuesday that evidence is emerging to show that the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus “decreases the strength of the protective shield” created by vaccines, urging the acceleration of full population vaccination.
“Evidence has emerged that the variants – namely the Delta variant – diminish the strength of the protective shield provided by vaccines, especially when vaccination is not yet complete. It is therefore crucial that as many citizens as possible be vaccinated against Covid-19, and that they are fully vaccinated as soon as possible,” said Stella Kyriakides.
The Commissioner with the Health portfolio was speaking at a press conference after the Council for Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers (EPSCO), which met this Tuesday in Luxembourg and was chaired by the Portuguese Health Minister, Marta Temido.
Advancing that, so far, more than 55% of European adults have received the first dose of vaccine and that more than 32% have been fully vaccinated, Kyriakides indicated that “vaccination is constantly increasing” in the European Union, with 25 million doses of vaccine to be administered weekly.
“Now we can clearly see the effects of this massive vaccination campaign: the number of Covid-19 cases has been steadily declining for the past nine weeks. Vaccines work, vaccines protect, vaccines push the number of infections down”, said the commissioner.
Considering that vaccination is the “most important weapon against Covid-19 in the different forms and shapes it is taking”, Stella Kyriakides highlighted that there are “more contagious variants that are spreading”.
EU/Chair: Health Ministers Agree Position on Strengthening EMA Role.
Brussels, June 15, 2021 (Lusa) – EU Health ministers, meeting today for the last time under the Portuguese Presidency, reached an agreement on the Council’s negotiating position on new rules with a view to strengthening the role of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
At a meeting in Luxembourg, chaired by Minister Marta Temido, the 27 agreed their position for the next negotiations with the European Parliament, having agreed to some amendments to the initial proposal presented by the European Commission on the revision of rules to strengthen the mandate of the EMA, in November last year, as part of a broader package on the so-called European Health Union.
One of the main objectives of the EMA rules review project is to better enable this agency to monitor and mitigate the potential and actual shortage of drugs and medical devices considered critical to respond to public health emergencies, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which revealed shortcomings in this matter.
The proposal also aims to “ensure the timely development of high quality, safe and effective medicines, with particular emphasis on responding to public health emergencies” and “providing a structure for the functioning of expert panels that evaluate high-quality medical devices and provide essential advice on crisis preparedness and management”.
The changes introduced in the Council’s negotiating position in relation to the original proposal of the community executive are essentially aimed at “clarifying the financial and data protection provisions”, according to a statement released by the EU Council, under Portuguese Presidency until the end of this month of June.
Member States stress,’ inter alia’, that transfers of personal data in the context of the new EMA mandate will be subject to EU data protection rules such as the General Data Protection Regulation.
Covid-19. There are at least 8700 students in quarantine, most in the Lisbon region.
There are at least 8700 students in isolation because of Covid-19. The majority of students (6407) are from the Lisbon and Vale do Tejo region. In the Centre region there are 1053 students from schools in isolation and in the Algarve 211. In the North region, there is only data for Paredes de Coura and Braga, and in these two municipalities there are 1056 students and school employees in quarantine. There is no data on the other municipalities in the North, as well as no data on the Alentejo region – so this estimate will be levelled below.
As for the North area, the Secretary of State for Mobility and regional coordinator Eduardo Pinheiro explained to the newspaper “Público” that there is only data from municipalities that record an incidence of more than 120 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants. “The rest of the information we send to the DGS and the Ministry of Education so that they can compile it with uniform criteria”, he said. In Paredes de Coura there are 19 confirmed cases that led to the isolation of 197 students and professionals from schools in the municipality. In the municipality of Braga, there are four active outbreaks: 50 confirmed cases of Covid-19 – students (46) and professionals (4), with 859 people in isolation.
Events
EDP Vilar de Mouros Festival will not take place this year and announces dates for 2022.
The EDP Vilar de Mouros will not take place in 2021. “We were stopped when we were close to starting the assembly of the festival”, informs the organization of the event to BLITZ. “Convinced that this summer it would be possible to return to the site of the oldest festival in our country, we resisted and continued to work, until further delays in the tours of international artists undo months of hard efforts”, justify the promoters of the oldest festival in country summer.
August 25, 26 and 27, 2022 are the dates announced for a festival that hopes to confirm the artists announced for the 2020 and 2021 editions. Limp Bizkit, Placebo, Suede, Iggy Pop, Bauhaus and Wolfmother were some of the names on the poster.
Holders of a general pass or a daily ticket for the EDP Vilar de Mouros 2021 are guaranteed entry into the 2022 edition. However, those who do not have this possibility may request the refund of the value of the tickets purchased.
One in four Portuguese stopped using the NHS for fear of the pandemic.
According to data from the Sustainable Health Index, developed by the Nova Information Management School (NOVA-IMS) and which also assessed the NHS response to the Covid-19 pandemic, 15.7% of users stopped going to a doctor’s appointment of family at the health centre, 7.5% did not go to specialist consultations in hospitals, 5.8% left diagnostic tests to be done and 7.3% chose not to go to the emergency room.
The significant reduction in the activity of the NHS must have been felt mainly on the supply side, due to resource constraints, but also (…) on the demand side. We all intuitively understand that there must be a part of the population potentially SNS user who abstained or reduced the demand for health care due to fears related to the pandemic”, explained Pedro Simões Coelho, coordinator of the study.
The specialist added: “Almost a quarter of the population potentially using it (…) stopped going to the NHS at some point, for example, for an appointment, or for a diagnostic test, because they were afraid to go to the hospital or to the hospital health Centre”.
Pedro Simões Coelho also indicated that, according to the study, “this same population will have intensified their use of private health services, as an alternative to the NHS, precisely because they feel this fear or because of situations of lack of response from the NHS”.
“And we estimate that 18% of the population has done so,” he added.
The data from this study reveal that 18.2% of the Portuguese resorted to private health services due to lack of response in the NHS or fear of contagion due to the Covid-19 pandemic
Other News
“Refugee Week” wants to raise awareness of the plight of refugees.
“Refugee Week” runs from June 14th until June 20th, as a movement in which several countries unite to raise awareness about refugees.
In Portugal, the program is promoted by the High Commission for Migration (ACM), with several initiatives planned over the next few days. Next Saturday, June 18, the webinar “Migration Observatory – Reception and Integration of Refugees in Portugal” will be held, which will feature, at the opening session, an intervention by the Secretary of State for Integration and Migration, Cláudia Pereira. On this occasion, the Statistical Report on Asylum 2021 – Applicants and Beneficiaries of International Protection in Portugal will be launched. Participation is free, requiring registration through their website.
This year, the chosen theme is “We cannot walk alone”, and it is possible to join various events and activities proposed, namely a Photo Contest of Refugee Children and Youth, an online workshop for the making of a typical Syrian dish or the presentation of the stories of six women refugees in Portugal and the respective paths and borders they crossed.
“Refugee Week” events take place in different spaces and countries and range from arts festivals, exhibitions, competitions, experience sharing, film screenings and museum visits to football tournaments, public lectures and school activities.
For more information on the global “Refugee Week” movement, you can follow this event on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social media and/or share posts with hashtags:#refugeeweek #AWholeNewWorld #WeCannotWalkAlone at https://refugeeweek.org.uk/ simple-acts/
Regions
Madeira Situation Report Wednesday 16th June 2021 by Daniel Fernandes
Covid-19 update
There were 21 new Covid-19 cases, 33 recoveries and no deaths from Covid-19 in Madeira since the previous Madeira Situation Report.
On Saturday, there were 4 new Covid-19 cases (from 2 passengers who had arrived from the UK, 1 passenger who had arrived from the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region and 1 case of local transmission) and 12 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital remained 3, none of whom were in intensive care.
On Sunday, there were 6 new Covid-19 cases (from 1 passenger who had arrived from Spain and 5 cases of local transmission) and 2 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital decreased to 2, none of whom were in intensive care.
On Monday, there were 8 new Covid-19 cases (from 1 passenger who had arrived from the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region, 1 passenger who had arrived from Central Portugal, 1 passenger who had arrived from Southern Portugal and 5 cases of local transmission) and 7 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital remained the same as the day before.
And on Tuesday, there were 3 new Covid-19 cases (from 1 passenger who had arrived from Spain, 1 passenger who had arrived from the UK and 1 passenger who had arrived from the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Region) and 12 recoveries. The number of patients in hospital remained the same.
There were 62 active cases on Tuesday, of which 15 had been imported while the other 47 cases had been a result of local transmission. As of Tuesday, there had been 9,542 cases, 9,408 recoveries and 72 deaths.
On Tuesday, there were 8 patients in isolation in a dedicated hotel, 52 patients in isolation in their own accommodation and 2 patients in hospital, none of whom in intensive care.
On the same day, there were 51 suspected cases under epidemiological investigation and analysis, which were all linked to patients who tested positive for Covid-19, to calls made to the SRS24 helpline, to referrals by SESARAM (Madeira Regional Health Service) and to airport screening.
There were 22,904 travellers under monitoring by the health authorities. Monitoring is being carried out through the ‘MadeiraSafe’ app. There were also 363 people, who had contact with positive cases, being monitored by the health authorities of several Madeira municipalities and of Porto Santo.
As for Covid-19 testing on passengers who had arrived at Funchal and Porto Santo airports, 231,785 samples had been collected until Tuesday (at 15h30). By Tuesday, 470,628 samples from RT-PCR tests had been processed and 70,047 antigen rapid tests had been carried out in the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
The SRS 24 helpline (Regional Health Service – 800 24 24 20) received 427 calls from Friday to Tuesday. Overall, it had received 52,821 calls.
The Covid-19 mental health helpline (Linha de Acompanhamento Psicológico da Direção Regional de Saúde – 291 212 399 – available every day from 09h00 to 21h00), which was set up to provide emotional and mental support to anyone in Madeira received 7 calls from Friday to Tuesday. Overall, it has received 3,636 calls.
https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/06/13/4-novos-casos-de-covid-19-12-recuperados-31-suspeitos/
https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/06/13/6-novos-casos-de-covid-19-2-recuperados-37-suspeitos/
https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/06/14/8-novos-casos-de-covid-19-hoje-7-recuperados-76-suspeitos/
https://funchalnoticias.net/2021/06/15/3-novos-casos-de-covid-19-12-recuperados-51-suspeitos/
Vaccination update
As of June 14th, 182,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses (105,062 1st doses & 76,938 2nd doses) had been administered in the Autonomous Region of Madeira since the start of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign on December 30th. This means that 41% of the population had been administered at least once vaccine dose while 30% of the population has been fully vaccinated.
A total of 18,887 vaccine doses (3,591 1st dose & 15,296 2nd dose) were administered in the previous week.
As of June 15th, 186,102 vaccine doses (105,303 1st dose & 80,799 2nd dose) had been administered.
https://web.sesaram.pt/COVID19_INFO
New Covid-19 rules
The following Covid-19 rules are now applicable or will soon be applicable in the Autonomous Region of Madeira:
– Curfew – from 01h00 to 05h00.
– Restaurants, Bars and similar establishments – can be open until midnight; all customers must be seated while eating and drinking; maximum capacity of 2/3; maximum of 6 people per table indoors; maximum of 10 people per table outdoors; mandatory use of face masks; mandatory disinfection and mandatory distancing.
– Care homes for the elderly – maximum of 2 visits per visitor per week; each visit must be no more than 1 hour long; maximum of 2 visitors per resident; rapid antigen test required; residents are allowed to leave for health reasons or to visit relatives, as long as they present a negative antigen rapid test result before returning (the test must be taken 48 hours before returning to the care home).
– Weddings, baptisms and similar events – maximum capacity of 2/3 (indoors or outdoors); basic protection measures are mandatory; all people eating and drinking must be seated; mandatory antigen rapid test, taken up to 48 hours before the event, if more than 100 people take part in the event (no age limit); the establishment or organising entity must ensure these rules are complied with.
– Cultural events – maximum capacity of 2/3 (indoors or outdoors); mandatory antigen rapid test, taken up to 48 hours before the event, if more than 100 people take part in the event.
– Sporting events – maximum capacity of 50% in training and matches; mandatory use of face masks; mandatory disinfection and mandatory distancing.
– Public transport – maximum capacity of 2/3 of the total capacity; mandatory use of face masks, mandatory disinfection and mandatory distancing.
– Commercial activities and services – must close by midnight; also applicable to casinos, bingos and similar establishments.
– Arraiais (traditional festivals that take place throughout the summer – sometimes in honour of a specific Saint) and theme parties – remain banned. The nature of these events mean there is no way of limiting gatherings, enforcing the rules on distancing and on the consumption of alcoholic drinks as required by law (seated and with distancing).
– Holiday clubs and after school activities – will be allowed from July 1st, if a contingency plan and a plan for testing and control are provided to the authorities.
Travel to the Autonomous Region of Madeira
– From July 1st, a rapid antigen test taken up to 48h before travel will be required. No self-tests will be accepted.
Travel between Madeira and Porto Santo islands
– Checks on arrival and departure to remain, in order to continue pandemic monitoring.
– The “green corridor” for air and sea travel remains for passengers who have been vaccinated, tested for Covid-19 or who have recovered from Covid-19 up to 180 days before travel.
– From June 21st, a rapid antigen test taken up to 24h before travel will required. No self-tests will be accepted.
– The use of face masks, disinfection and distancing will continue to be mandatory.
Water supply disruption
There will be several water supply disruptions in the Municipality of Câmara de Lobos in the following days. This is due to scheduled work on the water supply network in order to prevent water leaks. The following areas will be affected:
– June 16th June (from 09h00 to 13h00) – Parish (Freguesia) of Câmara de Lobos (Jesus, Maria, José, Caminho de São João, Beco Saraiva & Travessa Quintinha)
– June 16th (23h00) to June 17th (03h00) – Parish (Freguesia) of Câmara de Lobos (Facho, Caldeira) & Parish (Freguesia) of Quinta Grande,(Aviceiro, Fontes, Igreja, Lombo, Porto da Quinta, Quinta, Quinta Grande & Vera Cruz)
– June 17th (from 15h00 to 18h00) – Parish (Freguesia) of Câmara de Lobos (Ribeira da Alforra, Fonte Garcia, Rua João Gonçalves Zarco, Rua Ribeiro da Alforra & Rua Joaquim Pestana)
– June 18th (from 09h00 to 13h00) – Parish (Freguesia) of Câmara de Lobos (Torre, Serrado da Adega, Entrance 1 of Caminho São Bernardino, Entrance 2 of Caminho São Bernardino, Caminho São Bernardino, Rua Maestro João Nóbrega Noronha, Beco Serrado da Adega, Estrada João Gonçalves Zarco, Ladeira São Bernardino, Levada Pico da Torre, Rua Urbanização de São Sebastião, Travessa São Bernardino, Entrance 3 of Caminho São Bernardino & Caminho São Bernardin
https://www.jm-madeira.pt/regiao/ver/131567/Vai_faltar_agua_em_Camara_de_Lobos_na_proxima_semana
Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 16th June 2021
Faro won’t have gathering of motorcycles for the second year in a row.
The famous gathering in Faro, which this year celebrated 40 years of existence, will not take place, as happened last year, due to Covid-19.
Speaking to Algarve Prime, José Amaro, President of the Moto Clube de Faro, confirmed that “there will not be conditions to receive the usual thousands of motorcyclists who, in mid-July, travel to Faro from various parts of Europe and the world”.
Over the next few days, Moto Clube de Faro will announce the cancellation of the gathering by video, as happened in 2020. José Amaro explained that the two biggest obstacles to holding the event are the camps and concerts, so not even the vaccination certificate was used to reverse this decision, due to the impossibility of controlling the entrances and exits of people during the 3 or 4 days of the event.
The decision to cancel was reviewed week by week, but given the worsening situation, and with the question of the British Government, “the holding of the event is completely ruled out”, noted the official. Discarded is also the possibility of carrying out the usual motorbike parade through the streets of Faro.
José Amaro regrets the situation, since the event took place for 38 years without interruptions and now “we are forced to stop. Last year we said it would be 2021 and now we’re going to see if it will be next year. “
Authorities promote sustainable motorhomes in the Algarve Region.
This Monday, June 14, a protocol was signed with a view to promoting responsible ‘motorhomeism’ in the Algarve Region, which provides for the integration of the Algarve Motorhome Service Areas (ASA) into the national Outdoor Routes platform. The agreement also provides for the preparation of a Responsible Motorhome Guide, which gathers all relevant information for motorhome drivers and promotes the best sustainability practices, and a Motorhomeism Dictionary, aimed at defining and standardizing the fundamental concepts of the framework of the activity and the best associated practices.
Together with the Algarve Tourism Region, the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission, the Algarve Intermunicipal Community and the Camping and Mountaineering Federation of Portugal, Turismo de Portugal is committed to identifying new parking and overnight spaces of motorhomes that allow, in accordance with the imperatives of environmental sustainability, a better geographic diversification of such spaces and the growth of the offer network in the territory to welcome motorhome drivers.
Motorhomeism is a segment of the tourist market that is growing rapidly in Portugal and in Europe, closely associated with the growing appreciation by tourists of experiences of proximity to the natural and cultural values of the destinations visited. The growth of this modality of itinerant tourism brings with it obvious advantages, contributing positively to the dynamisation of local economies and to the reduction of seasonality, but it poses real challenges that need to be addressed, highlighted the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rita Marques.
In this sense, the Government is developing a program aimed, on the one hand, to respond to the growing demand, through the creation of a sufficient and qualified infrastructure supply network, and, on the other, to the need to combat illegal and unsustainable practices of the activity.
The strategy of resumption of tourist activity conveys a message of confidence to tourists, regarding the fulfilment of demanding health safety requirements and guaranteeing the control of risks resulting from an excessive and disorderly influx and concentration of motorhomes in the usually most sought after areas of the country by this tourist segment, as is the case of the Algarve.
The protocol now established foresees a set of cooperation and articulation actions that make it possible to overcome the constraints related to the modality of motor caravanning in the Algarve, promoting its practice in an increasingly sustainable way towards territories, the environment and tourists.
Azores Situation Report Wednesday 16th June 2021 – From our colleague in the Azores
Task Force.
The President of the Government of the Azores said the possibility that the ‘task force’, which is mass vaccinating the population of the islands without a hospital, would also guarantee a reinforcement of the vaccination against Covid-19 in São Miguel.
“It was agreed that, depending on the speed with which vaccination in these islands advanced, we could take advantage of the availability of the ‘task force’ to also strengthen the vaccination team in São Miguel, which has a more worrying epidemiological expectation”, explained the Azorean chief executive, José Manuel Bolieiro.
The operation is called “Periferia”, which is taking place on the islands without a hospital. The three islands with a hospital (São Miguel, Terceira and Faial) are also being targeted with increased vaccination, through of the teams of the Regional Health Service.
“The truth is that, thanks to the relief with the presence of the ‘task force’, we are already strengthening vaccination on the three islands where there is a hospital”, adding that, despite this, he expects to increase the pace of vaccination in São Miguel, the largest island in the archipelago, where the highest number of cases of infection is registered.
Despite this, he hoped that, by July 31st, the Azores could register a group immunity rate of around 70% of the Azorean population.
SATA
The airline Azores Airlines, belonging to the SATA group, revealed that it will cancel 10 flights between Toronto, Canada, and the islands of São Miguel and Terceira, in the Azores, due to reduced demand.
In a press release, the Azorean public company states that “the majority of flights planned between the Azores” and Canada “will be maintained” but, as of June 24th, eight flights will be cancelled between Ponta Delgada and Toronto and two connections between Praia da Vitória and that Canadian city.
The connection between Frankfurt, Germany, and Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, will also be reduced, going to one flight a week (instead of two), on Sundays.
Azores Airlines also said that, since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, airlines “had no alternative but to permanently readjust the air operation”, due to “cancellation of reservations by travellers”.
The SATA group company also refers to having the “expectation” to see the “addition of reservations” for the month of August, if “some restrictions are lifted” by the destinations.
On June 7th, it was announced that the Azorean airline SATA would increase the number of flights and seats on some inter-island connections, in June, and on connections from Lisbon to Faial and Pico, between the end of July and September.
Covid-19
12th June 2021
27 new positive cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed in the Azores, one in Terceira and 26 in São Miguel, resulting from 2,772 tests carried out in reference laboratories in the Region. The case diagnosed in Terceira refers to a traveller, residing in Santa Cruz da Praia da Vitória, with a positive analysis on the 6th day. All cases diagnosed in São Miguel are in the context of community transmission.
The municipality of Ribeira Grande registered nine new cases (three in Rabo de Peixe, three in Maia, one in Matriz, one in Pico da Pedra and one in Ribeirinha). In the municipality of Ponta Delgada there were 16 new cases (four in São Pedro, three in São Roque, three in Fajã de Baixo, two in Livramento, two in Fenais da Luz, one in Pilar da Brittany and one in Candelária). In the municipality of Lagoa, a new case was diagnosed in Cabouco.
There was a total of 24 recoveries.
13th June 2021
29 new Covid-19 positive cases were diagnosed in the Azores, one in Terceira and 28 in São Miguel, resulting from 2,433 tests carried out in reference laboratories in the Region. The case diagnosed in Terceira, in Santa Luzia, in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, has yet to be assessed. In São Miguel there was a case of a traveller, non-resident, with a positive analysis on the 6th day. All other cases are in the context of community transmission.
The municipality of Ribeira Grande registered 14 new cases (three in Rabo de Peixe, three in Ribeirinha, two in Maia, two in Pico da Pedra, two in Conceição, one in Matriz and one in São Brás). In the municipality of Ponta Delgada there were 11 new cases (four in São Pedro, two in Brittany, two in Livramento, two in Fajã de Cima and one in São José). In the municipality of Lagoa there were three new cases (two in Santa Cruz and one in Rosário).
There was a total of 27 recoveries.
14th June 2021
30 new positive cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed in the Azores, one on the island of Terceira and 29 on the island of São Miguel, following 1,059 tests carried out in the reference laboratories of the Region. The case diagnosed on the island of Terceira, in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, parish of Santa Luzia, is still to be assessed. On the island of São Miguel, all cases are related to the context of community transmission.
The municipality of Ribeira Grande registered 21 new cases (three in Rabo de Peixe, 11 in Ribeirinha, four in Maia, two in Pico da Pedra and one in Matriz). There were four new cases in the municipality of Ponta Delgada (one in São Pedro, one in the Pilar da Bretenha, one in the Fajã de Baixo and one in São José). There are four new cases in the municipality of Lagoa (two in Cabouco, one in Santa Cruz and one in Água de Pau).
There were no recoveries.
15th June 2021
22 new positive cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed in the Azores, one on the island of Faial, eight on the island of Terceira and 13 on the island of São Miguel, following 2,608 tests carried out in the reference laboratories of the Region.
The case diagnosed on the island of Faial, in the parish of Castelo Branco, municipality of Horta, concerns a traveller, resident, who tested positive upon arrival.
On the island of Terceira, the diagnosed cases concern eight travellers, non-resident, who tested positive upon arrival from a ship entering the port of Praia da Vitoria. Concerning the two cases mentioned in the reports of the last two days, following an epidemiological check, it has been found that those cases are related to the evacuations carried out to two crew members of a cargo vessel, and they are currently in hospital at the Santo Espírito Hospital of Terceira Island.
On the island of São Miguel, of the 13 new cases diagnosed, one refers to a traveller, non-resident, allocated to the parish of São Sebastião in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, who tested positive upon arrival. The other cases concern community transmission. Thus, the municipality of Ribeira Grande registered eight new cases (five in Rabo de Peixe, one in Maia, one in the Conceição and one in Ribeirinha). In the municipality of Ponta Delgada, there were two new cases (one in the Fajã de Baixo and one in São Sebastion). There were three new cases in the municipality of Lagoa (one in Santa Cruz and two in Água de Pau).
Also in the last 24 hours, there has been a total of 48 recoveries, and there are 12 patients in hospital, 10 in the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada and two in the Santo Espírito Hospital of Terceira Island. None of these patients are in intensive care unit.
The archipelago currently has 320 active positive cases: 308 on the island of São Miguel, 10 on the island of Terceira and two on the island of Faial.
There are no active local transmission chains, and 203 have been extinguished so far.
There are 1,023 people under active surveillance today.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 5,964 positive cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed in the Azores and 5,477 people recovered from the disease. There were 33 deaths, 79 people who left the archipelago and 55 cases with history of previous cure.
To date, 541,608 tests have been carried out in the archipelago to detect SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19 disease.
From December 31st 2020 to June 4th, 170,906 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in the Azores, corresponding to 101,900 people aged 16 years or more who received the first dose, and 69,006 people who received both doses, under the Regional Vaccination Plan.
What has happened though is that the long alliance of working together by the two respective governments seems to have hit a bad patch. At the same time, Spain has also gone out on a limb from the rest of the EU by allowing any third country citizens who have been vaccinated twice to enter Spain without any form of test certificate. However yesterday, the Head of State declared that after all “there was no diplomatic problem, there was just a technical lapse”. We shall see what happens in the days to come but in the meantime anyone travelling in a foreign car in Spain could be stopped and asked to show either their vaccine certificate or a negative PCR test result.
operation was under the command of Francisco Peraboa, responsible for the District Command of Relief Operations (CDOS) of Castelo Branco, whom I had the pleasure of meeting some two years ago. A very experienced Commander indeed.
Lastly, please see our headlines that people over 60 years of age who have not yet been vaccinated against Covid-19 can go this Wednesday and Thursday, 9th and 10th June, between 3 pm and 5 pm, to the vaccination centres in Albufeira, Lagoa , Lagos, Loulé, Faro, Portimão, Silves and Olhão to receive your vaccine.
The measure was announced this afternoon in Arouca, in the district of Aveiro, during the presentation of the national and international promotion campaign for the destination Portugal.
The data show that in the last week 226,341 more people were vaccinated with the first dose and 333,769 with the second, totalling 560,110.
The coordinator of the ‘task force’ for the promotion of the “Plan for the Operationalization of the Testing Strategy in Portugal” stated that January 22 was the day on which more tests were carried out (77,000), adding that at that time the positivity rate had reached the 20.2%.
According to the same source, of the 284 trains that circulated, 242 were carried out within the scope of the defined minimum services.
Miguel Albuquerque expressed his confidence that the policies adopted in Madeira have been shown to be successful in controlling the pandemic. He also explained that careful health policies such as Covid-19 testing on arrival and a booklet of good practices for the tourism sector were implemented in order to safely host tourists while safeguarding both residents and tourists. The letter reminds that there is passenger screening on arrival at airports in Funchal and Porto Santo, whether by presenting a negative PCR test or by testing passengers who don’t have it. Furthermore, the letter also mentioned the MadeiraSafe app that had been introduced in July 2020, which enables monitoring of the health status of travellers. President Albuquerque also mentioned the Madeira Safe to Discover Certificate, which proves compliance with all the relevant policies.
In a statement, the MAR Shopping Algarve and MAR Shopping Matosinhos shopping centers make it known that they will receive, until June 20, an installation by Better Shelter, an entity dedicated to building shelters for refugees and displaced persons forced.
It is a structure that aims to support, guide, inform, monitor and promote the economic fabric of the municipality of Albufeira, improving the response to the serious problems that local entrepreneurs are experiencing, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
When is a bubble not a bubble? That is the question seemingly contained in the President of the Republic’s statement on Monday where he commented on the lack of adequate arrangements concerning the Champions League final in Porto on Saturday. Clearly the arrangements where not as originally announced and as a result there were large numbers of people gathering in public areas with no social distancing and no wearing of facemasks. It seems that there is little understanding of the behaviour of football supporters when it comes to crowd management, particularly during periods of celebrations.
Yesterday the Head of the Vaccination Task Force stated that there are more than 60,000 people over the age of 50 waiting for confirmation of self-scheduling for vaccination against Covid-19. The number of registrations was so high that the services will need three days to book all orders.
The WHO committee of vaccine experts recommended this vaccine, which requires two doses every two to four weeks, for people 18 years of age or older. The CoronaVac vaccine is already applied in 22 countries and territories, according to data collected by AFP. In addition to China, it is used in Brazil, Tunisia, Chile, Indonesia, Mexico, Thailand and Turkey, among others.
In a statement, the ERS stresses that the private, cooperative and social sectors with conventions with the NHS can only charge moderating fees for the provision of health services to users of the public system.
“This shows how much this tragic opportunity of the pandemic has done for the development of tele-health”, said Marta Temido, at the opening ceremony of the eHealth Summit, an event on innovation and digital transformation in health organized by the Ministry of Health under the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
“At this time of less pressure on health care, recovery is already noticeable. In the first four months of this year, at the hospital level, there was an increase of 450,000 consultations and 40,000 surgeries, compared to the same period”, said Marta Temido, who was speaking during the opening session of the National Congress of the Order of Doctors, which takes place in Coimbra.
“I think that any country that observes (…) what happened in the United Kingdom, will say ‘it is better not to experiment, no, we will stay inside’. The EU is very diverse, we are different, but we play together, we discuss, we debate and, at the last minute, we agree. Because we know that unity means strength, and that makes a difference,” said Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Covid-19 update
CR7 Museum reopened on Monday after being closed for a year. Visitors to this popular museum can learn about Cristiano Ronaldo’s career, the most important moments during his career, the best goals he scored and look at a number of trophies he has won throughout his career.
The new structure, integrated in the «Summer Safe Algarve» operation, will allow to expand the response capacity in quantity and response time to Covid-19 tests, especially at the level of the standard PCR tests.
“While we see that the world is opening up again and we are encouraged by many positive indicators about European travel, stays and events, we feel that the rescheduling of the festival is the best in the name of the safety of all our fans traveling to Portugal, to the festival “, reads a statement shared on social networks.
The bathing season started yesterday, Tuesday 1st June in the Azores. There are 32 zones, and a manual on the use of these spaces is being finalized in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which does not provide for fines, but warns users of their responsibility.
“Civil Protection” is a phrase which we use a lot on the website and on the Facebook page. It is a very important part of our “raison d’etre” and whilst it may not seem as important as some subjects we know from experience that at some point we could well be impacted. oIt encompasses a wide range of issues which will become relevant to anyone who lives in Portugal and we genuinely believe that it is in your best interest to be fully aware of what is happening with regards to Civil Protection in your area. Our fire warnings two days before the Monchique fires in 2018, one directed to tourists with some 80,000 + views is a case in point.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved on Friday the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against covid-19 in adolescents aged 12 to 15 years, this Friday was announced.
Three new SNS 24 branches opened today, two in Vila Real (in the district capital and in Alijó) and one in Barcelos, Braga district, the Northern Regional Health Administration (ARS) said today. North).
João Paulo Gomes, from INSA, reported yesterday that the British variant already represents 87.2% of the total cases in Portugal. The one in Manaus (Brazil) fell from 4.3% in April to 3% in May, “and it should remain so”.
The virus is adapting to an increasingly immunized population,” said the expert, warning of the appearance of mutations “that somehow manage to deceive our immune system” and “cause some infections”.
In order for the evacuation of the health professional concerned to be carried out in complete safety, the RSBL is required to comply with a set of steps, with natural primacy for the stabilization of the vital signs of the person concerned, decontamination process and respective hospital transport. At the same time, and taking into account the nature of the operation, the use of specific personal protective equipment and the decontamination of all operational personnel are also fundamental procedures.
According to the same study, there is a “clear recovery” of confidence in health services. Only 14.1% of respondents remain little or not confident in the treatment of covid-19, against 32.7% in February.